Black Shafted Arrows
by Kerowyn6
Summary: Karraiyen and her twin Draryn have grown up hearing stories of the black magicians who call themselves the Rangers. Their parents have never trusted the mysterious gray/green cloaked archers, and some of that was bound to rub off on the siblings. But when fifteen-year old Karri is offered an apprenticeship to the famous Will Treaty, she can't help but accept...
1. The First Chapter

"Draryn...? Karraiyen...? Are you dressed?"  
"Yes, Mum," Draryn, Karraiyen's twin brother called out,"We're just brushing our hair and washing our teeth."  
"Well, hurry up about it!" Their mother sounded stressed. The siblings heard a sigh, and then the sound of footsteps descending the stairs.  
Draryn and Karraiyen exchanged exasperated glances.  
"Honestly, you'd think she didn't want us to look good after all. She's been fretting about it the last two days and now all she's concerned about is that we're at Castle Redmont hours early!" Karraiyen snorted.  
Her brother gave her an envious look. "You're all right. You'll look good no matter what. You always do."  
His sister just rolled her eyes at him.  
However, what Draryn said was mostly true. With her pitch black tresses and grey-blue eyes, Karraiyen, or, as the few friends she had made in Redmont Fief called her, Karri, was never in danger of looking like a tramp. Draryn was more ordinary-looking, with their mother's dishwater-brown hair and light brown eyes, and his sister knew he fretted about being taken for some kind of delinquent by Baron Arald- henceforth the careful grooming that preceded every official occasion.  
The Carsies were knew to Redmont; they had lived in Caraway Fief until the twins were a few months to their fifteenth birthday. They knew no one. They had no family in Redmont Village. Karraiyen had a few friends, but none very close. She wasn't too worried about that, though, she knew that given time she would make more. Draryn was the only one of the family who had made a best friend- almost on his first day. His name was Kaleb, he was the son of the local Potter. Kaleb had no skills in that area whatsoever, but Draryn was interested in the craft.  
Seeing as there was no way the Carsie twins would get apprenticed to a Craftsmaster through parental influence or other connections, Baron Arald had decided to make an exception: Draryn and Karraiyen would attend the Choosing with the Ward orphans. They were both vaguely nervous.  
Draryn, of course, wanted to be a Potter. His second choice was Weaver. Karraiyen agreed with him that pottery would be interesting, but it definitely wasn't her first choice. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She liked the open air, so unlike most children she didn't dread being assigned to a farm, but she wasn't particularly thrilled with the idea. Diplomatic Service was probably her first choice. It would certainly be exciting, and that was the main thing she was looking for in a Craft. She had seen Lady Pauline around, occasionally with a man in a cowled cloak, and she liked what she had seen. She was rather intimidated by the man, though. When she had asked her friend Lea from the Ward about him, Lea had just said that that was Halt, and Karri would do well to stay away from him. Although the man had never had a bow nor a quiver when she had seen him, and she hadn't gotten close enough to see the traditional double scabbard, she assumed he was a Ranger. Lea was right. Rangers were necessary, of course, just like weapons were necessary, but people said they practiced black magic, and while Karri didn't exactly believe it, she didn't doubt it either. She wondered why Pauline had married him.  
Shaking herself back to the present, she examined her brother, raising her eyebrows. Eventually he noticed her expression.  
"What?" He asked  
She smirked. "You've brushed your hair so much, you look like a porcupine."  
He just stuck out his tongue and threw a pillow at her.

Half an hour later, after a vigorous examination from their mother, which they both passed, and a rather embarrassing well-wishing ceremony from both parents, they were out the door and on the way to see Baron Arald.  
Draryn turned to his sister.  
"What do you want to be?" he asked.  
"I don't know... Diplomatic Service, I think. You want Pottery?"  
He smiled. "Of course."  
"You know you wouldn't get to climb any tress if you were a Potter," she teased. Both twins loved climbing.  
"I would! I'd climb them in my spare time!" he retorted.  
"Well, you certainly wouldn't get the girls," she said, switching tactic.  
He looked puzzled. "Why not?" he asked.  
Karraiyen grinned. "Because your hands would be filthy from working with clay all the time! And actually, I doubt if you would have enough spare time. And climbing trees probably isn't exactly smiled upon by the Craftsmaster."  
He looked put out.  
"Well-"  
His sister interrupted him:  
"If you enjoy climbing so much, you should be a Ranger!"  
He grimaced.  
"Ranger yourself!"  
Now it was her turn to look pained.  
"I certainly hope not. Everyone knows they practice black magic."  
Unseen in the shadows on the edge of the road, a dark figure followed the twins, a black and white border shepherd at his heels.


	2. In which we meet Will

_Sorry the last chapter was so short. It's my first ever fanfic. Tell me how I'm doing? Please? Pretty please with cherries on top? Read and review! :P_

In the waiting room to baron Arald's office, the atmosphere was tense.  
Martin, Arald's secretary, had a bandage around his throat that the youths were frantic to know the reason for. Normally Martin was a ridiculously shouty man, and the fact that for the moment he could talk only in a husky whisper was a great triumph for Carsies and Wards alike. Only Kacy, a quiet and very studious girl, was not participating in the fun. She sat in a corner reading a book, occasionally shaking her head at the antics of her year mates.  
Said antics were led by the oldest of the Wards, Danyl, a tall boy who neither of the twins knew very well but seemed nice enough. He was pestering Martin with irritating comments.  
"So, Martin, it's a nice day, isn't it? I just want to shout out my joy to the sky. What's that? Sorry? I can't hear you... No, no, my dear man, it must be my injured ears. They were probably deafened by the Baron's last secretary, a rooster of a man, tall, gangly, but with such a voice! What was his name again?" The last was addressed to Carla, Danyl's longtime sweetheart.  
She giggled.  
"Oh... I think it was something like Manny, Marly, Marty... Martin! That was it! Funny you should have the same name as the last one!"  
Fortunately, the children were saved from Martin's fury by Ulf, the Horsemaster, poking his head around the corner of the doorframe to say that Baron Arald had finished his private talk with the Craftmasters, and the Wards and Carsies were to be let into his study.  
As they filed in, Draryn glanced around at the assembled Craftmasters, all of whom had an opening for an apprentice. His sister was more observant.  
Ulf she already knew about, as he was the one who had let them in. The others consisted of Conrad, the Potter- and when her eyes passed over his face she smiled, for she knew her brother would be thrilled-, Sestin, the Weaver, Kirtel the Dog Trainer, Lady Pauline, and fortunately no sign of the shadowy Halt, Sunder the Mathematician, Sir Rodney the Battlemaster, who always came to the Choosing, Nigel the Scribemaster, Justynn the Carpenter, and a young man with brown hair and brown eyes wearing a brown shirt and grey pants whom she hadn't seen before. A dog lay at his feet. He caught her gaze and winked at her. She wondered about him for a moment, then realized that she would surely find out what his Craft was soon enough.  
Baron Arald turned to the children with a twinkle in his eye.  
"Well, now, Carswards-" he paused, glancing around hopefully at their faces and, seeing that none of them were laughing, shook his head in disappointment. His audience exchanged puzzled glances.  
"Anyway, despite the fact that none of you have a sense of humor to speak of, I'm sure you're all good children. That is why you are here today. You are all good people, who deserve a good chance in life, and we have set up a system which gives you that chance. But I don't have to explain this. You know it all already. Before I introduce the Craftmasters, I would like to share the sorrowful news that Jenny, Master Chubb and His Ladle will not be joining us today. Chubb and Jenny are competing in a baking tournament to celebrate the joyful union of Sir Kale and his wife, Lady Jennifer, of whom you have probably never heard. So, any of you wishing to apply as an apprentice chef or waiter, please speak up right now. Jenny always has spots in her restaurant for energetic young waiters, and Chubb never refuses the opportunity to whack a few more heads. Any takers? No? Ah, well, it seems I will not experience the delights of having three master chefs competing to make me dinner. Okay, let's get back on track. May I present Masters Ulf the Horsemaster, Conrad the Potter, Sestin the Weaver, Kirtel the Dog Trainer, Lady Pauline of the Diplomatic Service, Sunder the Mathematician, Sir Rodney the Battlemaster, Nigel the Scribemaster, Justynn the Carpenter and..."  
Karri wondered why he hesitated slightly.  
"...Will."  
The children looked at each other questioningly. None of them knew why Baron Arald had refrained from mentioning Will's Craft.  
Les, a small girl with short red hair, raised a hesitant hand.  
"My lord... What is Will's Craft?"  
Arald smiled grimly.  
"He's-" he started, but was interrupted by the young man.  
"I am here to represent a very confidential and important Craft, and to see if any of you have the talent to become an apprentice," Will said, glancing meaningfully at Baron Arald.  
The Wards and Carsies looked at each other in astonishment. This young man in woodsman's clothes had interrupted their Baron! And all Arald was doing about it was standing there looking slightly apologetic!  
Karraiyen studied Will more closely. True, he was wearing what appeared to be woodsman or hunter clothes, but they were well-made, not just burlap rags. He stood with a calm assurance, not arrogance, but a sort of quiet confidence. He had positioned himself at the end of the row, in the corner of the room, next to Lady Pauline and Sir Rodney. The three of them seemed to know each other well. And the more she looked Karri was sure that the other Craftsmasters had managed to stand as far away from him as possible while still remaining polite. She flicked her gaze back to him, and before she could look away again he nodded very slightly, as if guessing her thoughts, and rolled his eyes.  
She shivered.  
"As I was saying," Baron Arald began, "The nine of you are here to make a very important choice: what do you want to do with your life? Since I am sure that you are all extremely nervous, I will stop postponing and get on with it. Please line up oldest to youngest."  
They arranged themselves accordingly.  
"All right," Martin whispered, "Who's first?"  
Danyl stepped forward.  
"I am, my lord. Danyl Cloredon."  
"And who would you like to be apprenticed to, Danyl?"  
"Master Justynn, my lord."  
Justynn nodded thoughtfully.  
"I've never seen you work wood, but then again, you wouldn't have much of a chance to in the Ward. I'll give you a try."  
Danyl, grinning, reclaimed his spot in the line.  
"And who do we have here...?"  
"Carla Debreese, my lord."  
"And you request an apprenticeship to which of these Craftmasters?"  
"Sestin, my lord," Carla said eagerly,  
"Done. I've seen her work."  
And maybe it was only Karri, but she was sure she heard Will mutter 'That was quick' as Carla reached out for Danyl's hand.  
The next few passed quickly. Kacy, as expected, received an apprenticeship to the Scribemaster. A tall girl called Malya became an apprentice mathematician. And athletic Cooper would go to Battleschool the next morning. Les stepped back in line grinning like a madman at her new apprenticeship with the Dog Trainer- no surprises there. Les was a natural with anything on four legs.  
Karraiyen jerked herself awake as it came to Lea's turn. They had been cautious comrades for the past few months; Lea was the closest thing Karri had to a best friend, and vice versa.  
"So, Lea Emery, to whom do you wish to be apprenticed to?" queried Martin.  
Lea took a deep breath, and answered not to Martin but to Arald himself.  
'Lady Pauline, my lord."  
The Baron nodded in approval.  
"She certainly delivers well," he said to Pauline.  
"She does that. And I have examined her schoolwork. She has done well. I accept her as my apprentice."  
Karraiyen could have given a whoop of joy for her friend, right then and there, but she sensed Lea would not appreciate it. And suddenly she felt very sober. Draryn was next. Her brother. She knew he had feared that he would look ruffled and stressed on Choosing Day, but looking at him now, he seemed calm and composed.  
But as Martin approached him, she watched how Draryn started shaking very slightly at the knees. He was doing a good job of covering his anxiousness, she thought, but not a good enough job to hide it from someone as observant as she. And, apparently, Will. Draryn, his face pale and drawn, glanced up for a moment. The young man with the dog caught his eye, motioning for him to breathe, in, out, in, out... And Karri noticed the effect a little support had on her brother. Some color returned to his face. He unclenched his fists. He held his head a little higher. Karri flashed a look of gratitude to the young man, who gave a small smile.  
Before Martin could say anything, Draryn stepped forward confidently and addressed the Baron.  
"I am Draryn Carsie, and I request an apprenticeship to Master Conrad, my lord."  
Conrad grinned.  
"He's my son's best friend," he said, "Many a time have I found a pot sitting by the wheel that I didna order the makin' of since my son befriended this rascal. And you know what? They weren't half bad. I will gladly accept him as my apprentice."  
Draryn, his face a mixture of embarrassment and relief, stepped back in line.  
The moment her brother was done Martin, who was tired of all these self-reliant children who stepped forward of their own volition, screamed at Karraiyen to be respectful and tell the Baron her name. Or at least, he probably intended it to be a scream. It ended up sounding more like a hoarse whisper. Whatever the quality of the noise he was emitting, Karri did what he said and found herself facing a row of serious, stern Craftmasters, one mysterious and rather ominous young man, and one dog who- it was the dog who saved her. At the sight of something so normal, so orthodox as a dog chewing on someone's shoelaces, she found she could speak again.  
Or at least, stammer out a couple of words.  
"I'm K-karraiyen Carsie, m-m-my lord."  
"Well, Karraiyen, do you know who you want to be apprenticed to?"  
But before she could respond she was cut off by the young man with deep brown eyes.

"Sir, I think she might possibly warrant an apprenticeship with me. I have observed her, and I trust that you know I would not make a rushed decision."  
"Really? I mean, of course...Still... she's... well, you know..." replied Baron Arald.  
"I fail to see which knowledge is applicable in this situation," Will said cooly.  
"Well...she's...she's...never mind."  
"Good. Do you approve, sir?"  
"Well, erm, yes... Now that you mention it I can definitely see the skill set... What do you think, Karraiyen?"  
And it was at that moment that Karri exploded.  
"What do I think about what? You two are sitting here talking about me as if I'm some kind of laboratory specimen! I have no idea what skill set I'm supposed to have! I don't even know what Craft I'm about to be apprenticed to!"  
Suddenly she noticed that everyone was staring at her, except Will, who had raised an eyebrow, and the dog, who was focused on the umbrella she was eating.  
She mumbled an apology.  
Lady Pauline was the first to recover.  
"She's right, you know. We've just thrown her in in the deep end and asked her if she liked it. And you know the worst part? She doesn't even know what she's swimming in."  
"Yes, I do think we are the ones who owe you an apology," said Arald, "Lady Pauline is right. We really should explain what is going on to you."  
The words Yes you really should hovered on the tip of her tongue, but instead she managed to say:  
"Yes, please, my lord."  
Will chuckled softly.  
"Well," began Pauline, "You have just been offered an apprenticeship to Will Treaty, Ranger of Redmont Fief."  
"A Ranger!" Karri shouted before she could stop herself, "But everyone knows they practice black magic!"  
"Well, as long as they only practice it, you should be all right!" joked Arald. He wondered why no one laughed.  
Pauline glared at him.  
"That was not helpful," she said cuttingly.  
"Sorry."  
"Anyway, do I look to you like a sorcerer?" asked Will.  
"You could be wearing a magical disguise..." Karraiyen said doubtfully.  
Will sighed.  
"Think about it like this," he said,"First of all, if we were really black magicians, do you really think we'd let that secret out? And secondly, have you ever heard anyone say we're sorcerers?"  
"Of course!" Karri replied without thinking. Will raised an eyebrow.  
"All right, no..." she admitted, "Everyone says that people say you're sorcerers. But no one actually says that you are."  
The eyebrow was raised again.  
"Still..." she said.  
"Listen," the Baron explained, "this is your choice. It's your life. But Pauline, Will and I think you could do very well as a Ranger. I admit, I've never heard of a female Ranger, but I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be the first. I can promise you that Will here is not a black magician. Why, I remember when he was your age standing in front of my asking to be let into Battleschool!"  
Will looked distinctly uncomfortable.  
"But as I recall Rodney said he was too small and then it all turned out for the best!"  
"Well," said Will mildly, "there was a bit more to it than that. You and Halt decided to see if I'd break into your study," he looked slightly miffed at that, "and then there was the first few months where all I did was chores while Halt sat around drinking coffee and reading letters from Crowley, and then there was all that trouble with the Skandians. It wasn't exactly a smooth ride."  
"Still, one thing you know he's this tiny little boy, and next thing he's a national hero!"  
"Arald?"  
"Yes, Pauline?"  
"Please don't say anything else."  
"Yes, Pauline."  
Karraiyen was still hesitant, but her mind was made up for her by Lea, who burst out with:  
"Oh, goodness gracious Karri, this is Will Treaty we're talking about! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! You'd love it! I know this is not diplomatic, but just go ahead and accept it!"  
Karri stared at her friend for a moment, then looked at Arald, who was smiling encouragingly, then at her year mates, who were all looking rather embarrassed, then at the other Craftmasters, who seemed slightly nervous, then at Lady Pauline, who was clearly trying not to laugh, then at the dog, who had finished on the umbrella and was starting on the hat stand, and finally at Will Treaty, who was leaning casually against the wall and whose eyebrow was, like always, raised.  
She took a deep breath.  
"I'll give it a try," she said.


	3. Arald is our main character for a time

"So," said Lea as they walked back to the Ward together, "apprenticed to Will Treaty, the famous Ranger. Congratulations!"  
"Thanks, I think. Same to you! You'll be great! Ummm... one question: what did Will Treaty actually do?"  
Lea looked surprised.  
"You mean you don't know?"  
"Our parents are pretty suspicious of Rangers. I guess they wouldn't want to be contrary by telling us stories of famous ones."  
"Oh. Well, Will Treaty is one of the reasons we still have a free kingdom under the rule of King Duncan, and a good government, instead of a barren land overrun with bandits and ruled by the rebel Lord Morgorath."  
"One of the reasons?"  
"Yes. The other main ones were Sir Horace the Oakleaf Knight and Halt-"  
"Halt like Lady Pauline's husband Halt? I thought you told me to stay away from him."  
"I did. No one really knows much about him, except for his part at Hackham Heath all those years ago. Will Treaty, everyone's heard of- all right, everyone except for you- and he's local, so although people are still nervous around him some of them still remember when he was twelve years old stealing sweet tarts from Master Chubb. No one knew Halt as a child. He freaks pretty much everyone out," she grinned ruefully, "including me. But apparently he and Lady Pauline had been sweet on each other for years before they got married. Anyway, Will Treaty was the one who, as an apprentice, hunted down the Kalkara, which were some sort of giant murdering monsters who went around killing important people, the one who burned down Morgorath's bridge in Celtica, the very bridge that would have been the route of an invasion by Morgorath into Araluen, and when he and Princess Cassandra were kidnapped-"  
"Woah! Slow down! What does the princess have to do with all this?"  
"Will Treaty, a Ranger called Gilan, and Sir Horace found her in Celtica surviving on her wits after her party was attacked by Morgorath's henchmen. Then, when Will and Cassandra got kidnapped by Skandians and were sold as slaves, he protected her. But I'm sure you'll get a history lesson from Will himself. It would certainly be more accurate than the through-the-grapevine one I've given you," she said wryly.  
"Okay, thanks anyway for trying to get me up to speed on what's happening in the real world. Sometimes my parents can be- oh, no, my parents! What am I going to tell them?"  
"Oh dear. If they really hate Rangers as much as you say they do, than you are in big trouble. Just... try to put it tactfully."  
"Tactfully," Karraiyen repeated glumly, "of course. Ah well, we're at the Ward. Your last night here! See you around. Thanks for everything, Lea."  
Her friend smiled.  
"You too. Bye."

_

Draryn was waiting for her at the bakery, a worried expression on his face.  
"Have you thought of what we're going to tell our parents?" he asked her.  
"Yes. I think I'm going to tell them I'm apprenticed to a big orange bird who flies around giving forty-year-olds teddy bears."  
"Oh, come now. What's the worst they'll do to you?"  
"Disinherit me. After they've beaten me black and blue."  
"Karri, look at me. No, look at me! Our parents love us. They will be disappointed, yes, but do you think they'll take it out on you? I don't think so. Actually, they'll probably go straight to Arald asking why he gave you away to a black magician. And that Will Treaty, he seemed pretty good at reading people. I bet you he'll still be there, waiting for our parents. And I think it might be rather funny to be there when our parents confront two of the most powerful men in the fief to ask why their daughter is apprenticed to a sorcerer. Especially when said "sorcerer" is in the room. Now, just calm down and tell them the truth. Okay?"  
"Thanks, Draryn. You're right, they love us. I'm overreacting. It's just..."  
He gave her a hug.  
"I know. I know."

_

"He said WHAT?"  
"He said that Karri had the skills necessary to become a Ranger."  
"I heard you the first time!"  
"So why did you ask me to repeat what I said?"  
"Well... Never mind. So what did she do to him?"  
"Oh, she started accusing him of being a black magician-"  
"Good for her!"  
"-but then she realized that he wasn't so she accepted. I'm not sure if she accepted because of the Craft or the dog. She certainly eyed that dog a lot."  
"The dog helped calm me down!" protested Karraiyen.  
"Yes, yes, I'm sure it did."  
Mr. Carsie glared at his children, who sat there, staring up at him innocently. He shook his head.  
"I think we're going to have to talk to Baron Arald about this," he said to his wife.  
The twins grinned at each other.  
"Marda, dear, grab your cloak. We are going to complaint to the Baron."  
"Good. It's about time we did something about those Rangers."  
Draryn and Karri watched in growing anticipation as their parents bustled around the house, trying to get respectable for their visit to Baron Arald. Finally, they left the house and the two siblings were left facing each other in the hall.  
"Oh my gosh, Draryn, they did exactly what you said they would! Do you want to go see what happens?"  
He shook his head.  
"I don't want to get in trouble right after I've been chosen as a pottery apprentice. Go if you want to, but make sure you don't get caught, all right?'  
She just grinned at him.  
"I won't," she said, and, after pulling her thick cloak around her body, headed out  
into the evening.

Baron Arald opened the door of his study.  
"Yes?" he said to Martin, who stood outside with two very grumpy looking people.  
"Mr. and Mrs. Carsie would like to have a word with you about today's Choosing."  
The Baron shook his head. Just like Will said they would, he thought.  
Openly, he just sighed.  
"Well, you might as well show them in," he said.  
Once the couple had been shown to a sofa and had made themselves comfortable, he turned to them and asked them what it was they would like to discuss.  
"We would like to complain about the fact that you recently handed off our daughter to a black magician," the man said.  
"Well, I didn't exactly hand her off," he said, already irritated,"she accepted an apprenticeship with him. And he's really not a back magician."  
"You say that. But we've seen them! They go around in those dark cloaks and never let anyone see their faces! And I've heard stories, oh yes, stories of bandits who were sucked into the forest, never to be seen again! Robbers who were found in the morning with arrows through their hearts! And now you expect me to believe you when you say she accepted an apprenticeship of her own volition!" shrieked Marda.  
The Baron laid back in his chair. I'm already tired of these people, he thought.  
"Well," he said aloud, "Yes, I do. You see, although you do not know this, the Ranger Corps is the King's intelligence organization. They are the prime defense against hostile forces. And I'd like to bring one other fact to your attention, madam: in all the stories you have ever heard, have you noticed that the victims of this so-called "sorcery" are always brigands or robbers or murderers, never simple villagers? Always people who wish to harm this kingdom or its people. And also, among the examples you stated, the victims were... dispatched of... by, if not natural, not supernatural means. Oh, come now! Anyone can fire a bow! And someone who knows the forest extremely well could get bandits lost in it! The fact is, Mr. and Mrs. Carsie, that your daughter has been offered a great honor, whether you believe it or not."  
"We don't!" shouted the man, "But we do believe that you are making a grave mistake in trusting these Rangers! They need to be gotten rid of! Why, if this Will Treaty were here I'd do it myself!"  
"Well, then, it's a good thing he is here, isn't it?" came a voice from the shadows.

_

Karri watched from the window sill, where she was sitting, as her mother and father persistently refused to see the logical truth. Ughhh... she thought, why did her parents have to be so stubborn? And shouldn't they be a tad more respectful to the Baron? She shook her head angrily. She knew all too well that her parents would never be respectful if Rangers were involved.  
Turning back to the window, she watched as her father told the Baron that the Rangers needed to be gotten rid of. She wished she could hear better... Easing the window open very slowly, and cursing at the slight squeak, she leaned forward and pressed her ear to the crack.  
"Why," she heard her father say, "if this Will Treaty were here I'd do it myself!"  
And she stared as the young man in question stepped out of the shadows and said:  
"Well, then, it's a good thing he is here, isn't it?"  
It was all Karri could do not to shriek. She was sure that Will hadn't been there a moment ago. He seemed to have emerged from the shadows.  
Unlike at the Choosing, he was wearing the typical cowled Ranger cloak, with a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder and a bow in his hand. The traditional double scabbard that only Rangers wore was at his hip, the longer knife on the outside and the small throwing knife on the inside.  
Her father clearly did not have his daughter's self-control: he gave a short screech at the sight of the Ranger, and jumped to his feet.  
"You witch!" he screamed, "You see, my lord, this is proof of the fact they are sorcerers! He came from the shadows!"  
"No, not from the shadows. I've been here the whole time."  
"Then how come we didn't see you, you spawn of evil?" Marda made the warding sign against black magic.  
"I am simply good at not being seen," replied Will, who had, of course, raised an eyebrow. Karri wondered if he ever let the eyebrow rest for more than a few minutes.  
"Clearly," muttered Arald, "you are also good at scaring the parents of your new apprentice. Not a good thing." Will shot him a baleful stare.  
"Listen, I'm just saying-" began Arald, but stopped when he realized that continuing would only aggravate the situation even further.  
"Anyway," continued Will, "seeing as you clearly have no first-hand experience of the Ranger Corps, I would appreciate it if you would keep your opinions to yourself."  
"We don't care what you appreciate!" shouted Mr. Carsie.  
"Yes, I realized that, but I assume you appreciate your daughter's right to choose what she wants to do with her life?" asked Will, then plunged on before they could answer, "Good. In that case, I believe we are done here. Thank you, Arald."  
"No problem, Will."  
"Oh, there certainly is a problem!" yelled Marda Carsie, determined to get the last word, "We still don't believe you that you're not a sorcerer! We didn't see our daughter's eyes when she agreed to be your apprentice! You must have enchanted her!"  
"Well, in that case," said Will, his eyes sparking,"I suggest you watch her eyes very closely when I ask her again."  
And before Karri could do anything he crossed to the window and pulled her up and into Baron Arald's study.

_

"Karri!" her mother gasped, "What are you doing here?" She didn't respond, just looked at Will and shrugged.  
"I believe she decided to see what would happen when you came to Baron Arald asking why he gave your daughter away to a black magician. But whatever the reason, she is here and if you really believe I enchanted her, than watch her eyes closely and tell me if there's anything odd about them. Karraiyen Carsie, did you or did you not accept to giving an apprenticeship as a Ranger a try?"  
"I did," Karri replied, glancing up at her parents.  
"You see? Now, if the three of you would kindly leave, I have some business to attend to with the Baron. Karraiyen, I'll see you at my cottage at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Bring anything you might want for the next month. Goodnight everyone."  
And with that, he led them politely but quite firmly to the door.  
As the three of them walked back to their house, Mrs. Carsie looked down at her daughter and said:  
"So, what were you actually doing there spying on us?"  
"Pretty much exactly what Will Treaty said. I wanted to see what happened," said Karraiyen.  
Her father sighed.  
"We're not disappointed in you, Karri, by no means. But we love you and we want to make sure you're all right."  
"I know."  
"So... look after yourself, okay?"  
"Of course, Father."


	4. The chapter I have decided to call Bob

**Thanks a heap to my first ever reviewer, moniquebrown, she is unbelievably awesome and will be remembered forever. I will try to take her advice and not make Karri a mary-sue. She isn't, is she?**

**All right, answers to questions:**

**Karraiyen's name is pronounced kah-RYE-yenn. I hope that was clear.**

**Lines between dialogue… I assume you mean double spacing? All, right, will do…**

**Quote of the day (generally from Terry Pratchett because he is the best author ever):**

"**The intelligence of the creature known as a crowd is the square root of the number of people in it." –Terry Pratchett**

**And again, three cheers for moniquebrown! Hip, hip, hurray! Anyone else care to review? Pretty please?**

–**Kerowyn6**

The next morning found Karri walking down the hill from the village towards the small cottage on the edge of the woods. It was a small one, made of oak beams and thatch, with a couple of horse stalls on the side and a hay loft. She made out the figure of either a small horse or a large pony, she wasn't sure which, munching on some hay.

Finally, gathering her courage, she nocked on the hard oak door. She heard the sound of footsteps, gradually getting closer, and finally the door opened.

"Karraiyen! Please come in," said Will.

She wiped her boots on the mat and stepped inside, looking around as she did so.

The short entranceway was warm, much warmer than outside, and wooden beams stretched up to the ceiling. On a hook on the wall hung the distinctive mottled Ranger cloak. The whole place had a very lived-in feel, as though it had housed generation after generation. There wasn't much to observe in the hall, so she turned her gaze to Will instead.

He was a lot shorter than he had seemed the day before, only slightly taller than her, and she hadn't had her growth spurt yet. She knew twelve-year-olds who were taller he was. Like the day before, he was wearing simple yet well-made clothes.

He led her down the hall and to a small bedroom on the left side of the house. In the room was a simple bed with a pillow and blankets, a small chest of drawers, and a bookshelf.

"This is your room," he told her,"I'm sorry it's rather sparse but I didn't know what you'd want. "

'It's great..." she told him, "Thanks."

He gave a small smile. "No problem. Go ahead and get settled in and then come to the front room for breakfast."

She nodded her assent, and he left the room.

Sitting down on the bed, Karri reviewed the past few days in her mind. Certainly a lot had happened. Apprenticed to a Ranger. That was certainly something she'd never imagined happening.

She arranged her clothes in the tiny dresser and made the bed again, in the special way she always did when she was home. It comforted her, the way the pillow was over the sheet but under the blanket; it reminded her of back home in Caraway Fief. Eventually, her growling stomach got the better of her and she went in search of the breakfast Will had promised.

Breakfast was a simple affair, eggs and porridge washed down with coffee. Karri watched as Will scooped huge spoonfuls of honey into his cup. She wondered what that was about. But apparently he liked it, for he leaned back in his chair and sighed contentedly.

After breakfast Will led her to the porch on the back of the cottage and told her to make herself comfortable.

"So," he said, "what do you know about the Ranger Corps?"

"I don't know anything much," she told him.

"Well, then, tell me the modicum that you do know."

"All right..." she began hesitantly, "Um. You go around scaring people and you're good friends with Baron Arald."

Will raised an eyebrow.

"All of us are good friends with Baron Arald? What about, oh, say, Baron Ergell of Seacliff Fief? Does he have any friends?"

"What? Oh, no! Not all of you, just you in particular!"

"But we're not talking about me in particular, are we?"

"No. Okay... Can I restart?"

"Do whatever you want."

"Okay," Karraiyen took a deep breath, "Rangers as a whole make people nervous, people think you're black magicians, and I think that if you disapproved of that rumor than you would have done something about it, so..." she paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts, "you like to remain apart form the rest of society, to never let anyone know too much about you."

"Very good," Will said softly,"much better than I did on my first day. Ten years ago I sat on this very porch, trying to bluff my way past the fact that I had no idea who founded the Ranger Corps. Well, since you were telling me the truth when you said you didn't know much about us, I will fill you in. The Ranger Corps was founded one hundred and sixty years ago by King (does someone have the first book on hand, if so what on earth was the king's name please please please?), who decided that Araluen needed an intelligence force. Since then we have acted as informants for the king and, among other things, law enforcers and investigators. Have you ever heard the saying One riot, one Ranger? It means that for every riot or trouble spot there is only need for one Ranger. Unfortunately, this is not always accurate. But you will learn about that later. Recent history is not important right now, you only need to know the basics. Now, since I do not approve of wasting time chatting, please follow me and I will show you our primary weapons."

He led her to a shed on the side of the house and pulled out a strange, squiggly bow, a quiver of black-shafted arrows and a leather cuff.

"This is a recurve bow," he told her, "the bent ends will allow for a farther range with less draw weight than the full longbow," he gestured to the weapon slung over his shoulder, "Obviously, you won't get as far a range as with the full-fledged longbow, but it's a lot better than with a small hunting bow or even most crossbows."

She stared at it in awe.

"Can I try using it?" she asked him.

"If you feel that is a good idea," he handed her the bow and one of the arrows, "The targets are over there, in a little clearing about thirty meters into the forest."

Karri set herself up at one of the targets, nocked an arrow to the string, drew back and fired. She collapsed immediately, pain arcing through her left arm. She looked up at Will, gasping, tears in her eyes.

"What went wrong?" she managed.

"When you let go the string slapped back and hit your forearm. That's why we use these," he handed her the leather cuff.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" she asked, embarrassed and annoyed.

He raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't see you in a rush to ask about what precautions to take," he said, "so I decided to let you understand the consequences of being hasty."

Karri didn't say anything, just glared at him.

"Well," he said brightly, "time for another try. On with the cuff, nock the arrow, draw back, WAIT! Don't rush your shot. Give yourself time to adjust the aim and your position. Speaking of position, left foot back a little, good... Loosen your grip with your left hand, nice... Very good... You're using your back muscles, not just your arm, that's great... And now- lower your bow."

She stared at him in shock.

"What? After I went to all that trouble of getting the right position? I was standing there ages working on that and now you're telling me not to shoot? Why?"

"Precisely because you worked on that position for a while. Your arm was tired. Your shot would not have been very good. Right! Now that we've given your muscles a chance to recuperate, draw, adjust your grip, good, three... four... and fire!"

The arrow arced away across the clearing, so fast Karraiyen had trouble following it with her eyes, and bit deep into the soft wood of the target, some ten inches from the center.

"Not bad," said Will, "Not bad at all. Now, here's another arrow, draw, good, you corrected your grip, and- ah! Don't move your hips forward! It distorts your aim! Try again... draw… two, three, four...fire!"

_

That evening Karraiyen Carsie stumbled back to bed, exhausted. She had had no idea when she accepted the apprenticeship that it would be this unbelievably tiring and difficult. Will had kept her working on her shooting for close on two hours, and then had her lie on her stomach in the grass, motionless, while he sat on the porch, occasionally glancing down at her. He had an uncanny ability of seeing whenever she twitched the slightest bit and would make sarcastic comments along the lines of: _Hmmm... what is it I see in the grass over there? Is it a girl trying to lie still and failing miserably? I think it might be. I wonder which imbecile told her that being absolutely still entailed changing position every three minutes whenever she felt a pebble digging into her stomach_. And those comments were made all the worse by the fact that he was correct. Karraiyen would find a position that seemed comfortable, and then a couple seconds later she would realize that her left arm was going numb or a twig was jutting into her leg. And her new mentor's arrogant, sarcastic manner hadn't helped. Ugghhhh… she was mediocre with the bow and failing miserably in patience.

When would she find something she was good at?


End file.
